


Sleepover

by SoDoRoses (FairyChess)



Series: LAOFT Extras [45]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Kissing, M/M, just so much fluff, like .5 seconds of angst that they bowl right over with even MORE FLUFF, sugary sweetness its just OUTRAGEOUSLY soft tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-08-09 21:43:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20124310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyChess/pseuds/SoDoRoses
Summary: “There is never a time or a place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment,”-Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever





	Sleepover

**Author's Note:**

> from... so many fucking prompts i used like 6 for this:
> 
> "If you are both willing and able, may a request a story where the boys get to know each other? Like, they've known each other for years, but since Virgil was asleep, it wasn't like they could *talk*. Plus, I *so* want to see the other boys' mortified reactions when Virgil tells them he could hear the things they said about him when they would visit his clearing." - from a nonnie
> 
> "LAOFT prompt: fae love games! what are some games the boyfriends like to play together?" and “LAOFT prompt: Virgil and Logan find they really like having painted nails” - both from [ @trivia-goddess ](trivia-goddess.tumblr.com)
> 
> “Does Virgil ever figure out that one of things Roman ever said to his face after he woke up was a meme?? That’d be mortifying for Roman and absolutely hilarious for everyone else” - from another nonnie
> 
> “Hey this is random, but I love laoft and I was wondering if the boys ever had a moment where they just like stayed up too late and ended up talking about the state of the universe, philosophy or just how crazy thier lives are. Because I think they all have plenty of things to talk about and I’m a sucker for deep conversations. I hope you are having a good day/ night!" - from another nonnie!
> 
> And finally "okay I have an intense need to see the rest of the boys in makeup now! Feel like Virgil would go all dark and emo, Roman flamboyant and dramatic and super gay and Logan really light and lowkey?? (If they’d all be comfortable wearing it in the first place ofc!) - from⭐🏳️🌈 anon
> 
> Whew. i know right, a lot. but they all fit so well in this scenario - couldnt resist

Sleepovers had been a staple of Logan and Patton’s friendship from the very beginning. Adding Roman to them had been easy, and while it was slightly more strange to add Virgil – mostly because they had a difficult time explaining the difference between ‘a sleepover’ and just ‘sleeping over’ - strange was not synonymous with difficult. He slipped in perfectly, like he’d always been there.

Granted, the parameters of the sleepovers had changed somewhat. They were now required to stay in the common areas of the house – usually the living room – rather than the bedrooms, in order to discourage more, um… amorous activities.

But the primary event of the sleepovers was the same as it always was – truth or dare.

Thomas thought this was absurd. When Logan had returned from Patton’s house the first time and relayed the evening, Thomas had actually been upset. It was unfair, he’d said, that Patton had the advantage in such a game, being actually _capable_ of lying at all.

But Logan didn’t mind all that much that the humans were operating on the honor system. He trusted them. And it wasn’t as if they had ever asked more than mildly embarrassing and silly surface questions.

For example, not once, in all the years they’d played, had any of them asked each other any romantic questions. In hindsight, they had all probably been petrified of having the question turned back on them.

Such qualms were no more.

“Truth,” said Logan.

“Do you have a crush on me?” Roman said instantly, grinning at him.

“You are ridiculous,”

“I think you _do_ have a crush on me,”

“Roman, this is absurd,”

“You have to answer the question,” said Patton, clapping with excitement from his place on Virgil’s crossed legs. Virgil had his chin set on top of Patton’s head, clearly trying not to laugh.

Logan sighed.

“If we are defining a crush simply as ‘feelings of romantic attraction-’”

“We are,” said Roman smugly.

“Then yes, dear,” said Logan, fond and exasperated, “I do, in fact, have a crush on you, one of my literal romantic partners,”

“Knew it,” said Roman cheekily, leaning over to press a quick peck to Logan’s cheek.

Logan rolled his eyes, but he could feel that his ears were burning slightly. No one commented.

“Your turn,”

“Um… Patton,”

“Dare!” said Patton immediately.

Logan wrinkled his nose slightly. He was not good at coming up with dares.

He glanced around the room, and then leaned in to inspect the plastic cups on the coffee table next to them. He smiled.

His, Roman’s, and Virgil were empty, so he picked them up and handed them to Patton.

“I dare you to attempt to juggle these,”

Roman started laughing nearly as soon as Logan stopped speaking, and Virgil snorted. Patton gave a little sigh.

He fumbled the cups immediately, and after three more aborted attempts Logan began to feel a little bad and told him it was sufficient. Patton didn’t seem very upset, replacing the cups on the table and then tilting his head back.

“Virgil?”

“Hmm,”said Virgil, considering. He tucked a loose curl behind Patton’s ear, “Dare, I guess,”

Patton beamed, mischievous and clearly delighted.

“You’re gonna let me do your makeup,” he said.

“Oh- Patton, come on,”

“Ha! Be right back!” said Patton, and he leapt up from Virgil’s lap and sprinted out of the room.

Virgil huffed, but he didn’t look all that upset

Patton returned with his make-up, grinning so wide it bordered on slightly deranged, and Virgil’s face softened even further.

“Roman?” said Virgil, wrinkling his nose as Patton began to smear a cream Logan couldn’t identify onto his face.

“Truth,” said Roman.

Virgil thought it over for a moment then leaned back a little so Patton would release his face.

“What was the last thing you dreamed about?”

Roman didn’t react for a moment, and then he turned bright pink.

“I- uhm-”

“Oh, now I _really_ want to know,” said Virgil, smirking even though he was also starting to blush a little. Patton bit his lip, and Logan knew his own face was rapidly catching up to the three of them. He picked at the carpet.

“Oh, shut up, Pennywise-guy,” Roman grumbled.

Virgil frowned a little.

“… Scary clown, right?”

Patton smiled nodding.

“Yup, you got it!”

“I hate the clown,” Virgil muttered.

“Roman,” said Logan, “You have not answered the question,”

“_Logan you traitor,_”

“It is not my fault you have not fulfilled the conditions of the game,”

Roman glared, but there was little actual heat in it. Logan attempted to contain his own expression of amusement.

Roman tilted his head, a little considering, and then suddenly grinned.

“You want to know what I dreamed about?” he purred.

Logan had just enough time to think _Oh, shit,_ before Roman leaned in, sliding one arm around Logan’s waist and dragging him forward into a kiss that almost instantly set Logan’s head spinning.

Logan’s hands had come up to cup Roman’s face with absolutely no input from his brain; Roman slipped his hand under the loose hem of Logan’s sleep shirt and Logan made a noise that was equally involuntary.

Very faintly, quiet enough that Roman probably didn’t hear, something shifted on the hardwood of the second floor above them.

“Wait,” Logan blurted.

Roman retreated like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on him, instantly trying to break away anywhere they were touching.

“Sorry, I-”

“No, no,” Logan soothed, pecking him gently, “You didn’t- it is nothing bad,”

Roman relaxed slightly.

“I just think we ought to put a temporary ban on more-”

Logan cleared his throat.

“-_enthusiastic_ displays of physical affection. I would rather not startle Patton’s parents. Again,”

Roman looked a little sheepish.

“You make a fair point, My Fair Nerdy,”

Logan turned to the other two, both of them slightly pink and Virgil looking a little bizarre in flat foundation.

“Is that alright?”

Patton cleared his throat, nodding quickly.

“Yeah, honey, good plan,” he said, his voice slightly strained.

Roman moved to let go of Logan completely, but Logan caught his wrist and pulled Roman’s arm back around him, tucking himself into Roman’s side.

Roman gave him a quizzical look.

“I did specify enthusiastic,” Logan muttered.

Roman didn’t complain, so Logan counted it a win.

* * *

Roman had taken one look at Virgil after Patton was through with him, and immediately protested the ban on making out.

He’d been outvoted, but Virgil had turned red underneath the white foundation and smiled in that sort-of shy way he did sometimes, only when he’d really let his guard down, and Roman couldn’t be that disappointed.

It really wasn’t fair though – with purple and black swirling around his already stunning eyes, and his cheekbones framed sharp as knives and his lips a deep plum, Roman could hardly be expected not to complain about the lack of kissing. Loudly.

Logan had been… quiet, though at first Roman had chalked it up to simply being stunned – perfectly understandable – but when he’d eventually noticed Logan eyeing the make up bag with something equally curious and anxious, Roman had cheerfully announced they should all put some on.

Logan hadn’t hesitated at all, offering to go next just a little too quickly, and Roman felt _quite_ satisfied with himself

And when Patton had outlined Logan’s eyes in faint shimmering blue, it had made them glitter like like he had diamonds set in his face

“Look at you,” Roman sighed, tracing the crest of Logan’s cheeks with his thumbs gently, so as to not smear the make-up, “You’ve got starlight in your eyes, gorgeous, how am I supposed to think straight with you looking at me like that?”

“You are never thinking straight,” Logan muttered, clearly trying not preen under the attention, “Answer the question, please,”

“Dare,” said Roman, not even bothering to try and take his hands off of Logan’s face.

Logan huffed, and it was subtle enough anyone who didn’t know him like Roman did wouldn’t have noticed. But Roman _did_ know him, and he wished he could bottle the giddy feeling in his chest that thought gave him.

Logan looked around the room, and he must have seen the barn out the window or something to that effect.

“Make a goat noise?” he shrugged.

Patton dissolved into giggles, covering his face. Roman groaned, throwing himself onto his back.

“I don’t think that’s a goat noise, love,” said Virgil.

“This is torture,” Roman whined.

“Hardly,” scoffed Logan.

Roman sighed, and then let out what was certainly the most half-hearted bleat ever heard on the Waller farm.

Patton’s giggles ratcheted up into outright cackling, and Virgil began to try and hush him through his own snickering. Logan was biting his lip and staring firmly at the wall, clearly trying not to lose it.

“Terrible. You’re all terrible,”

“Your opportunity for vengeance awaits you,” said Virgil, in an over-exaggerated ominous tone.

“Okay, Giggle Creek, calm down,” said Roman fondly, and Patton wiped the corners of his eyes and tried to compose himself. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” said Patton, a sunny and slightly challenging smile on his face.

“Try to get all three of us in ‘Honey, I love you’ in under a minute,” Roman said instantly.

Logan groaned.

“Patton is by _far_ the most proficient at ‘Honey, I love you’ and you _know_ this Roman. You are merely attempting to solicit affection,”

“You’re just upset because you _suck_ at it,”

“We’re _all_ bad at ‘Honey, I love you,’ Roman,” said Virgil.

“Okay, someone get me a timer,” said Patton.

Roman pulled it up on his phone.

“And, go!”

Patton looked up at Virgil, who had a reasonably blank expression on his face.

“Honey, I love you,” Patton crooned, laying his head on Virgil’s collarbone and looking up at him adoringly. “Won’t you give me a smile?”

Virgil didn’t even open his mouth to respond; he just started beaming instantly.

“Oh, I lost _very_ badly,” he said, laughing at himself.

Patton scrambled across the circle and looped his arms around Logan’s neck, running his fingers through the hair on the back of his head.

“Honey-”

Logan broke immediately, his eyes softening as he shook his head.

“This is not a competitively balanced game,” he said, just a touch petulantly.

Roman summoned all his years of drama club in an attempt to keep his composure.

Patton turned to Roman – not too far since he and Logan were right next to each other – and smiled at him, and Roman already felt like his heart was fluttering against his rib cage like a bird.

Patton took Roman’s hand and lifted it to cup his own cheek, smiling at Roman like he brought Patton the moon.

“Honey, I love you,” sighed Patton, “Won’t you give me a smile?”

“Honey, I love you,” said Roman seriously, “But-”

Patton turned his head slightly to kiss Roman’s palm.

“Cheating,” Roman said, instantly grinning, “That’s _cheating_,”

The timer went off.

Patton punched the air in celebration with a quiet little _whoop_ of joy.

“_Undefeated!_” he chirped, pecking Roman on the lips before returning to his spot.

“Indeed, you are the superior ‘Honey, I love you’ player,” said Logan quietly.

“Uhhhhhhhm, um, um, um,” muttered Patton, “Logan!”

“Truth,” he replied.

Patton tilted his head back, screwing his face up in concentration.

And then his expression started to shift, one degree at a time, until he looked a little nervous and maybe sort of keyed up.

“When…”

He paused, and after a moment Logan prompted, “Yes?”

“When did you know you loved us?” said Patton, his voice shaking slightly.

* * *

The room became very quiet, and Patton almost immediately regretted the question.

When Logan still didn’t answer, Patton held up his hands.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “That’s- that’s too much, I shouldn’t have-”

“Eighth grade,” blurted Logan, “I was thirteen. For- for you, and Roman,”

Patton’s eyes went a little wide. He felt slightly dizzy.

“Homecoming,” Logan continued, “You were both going and I couldn’t… I was jealous, and I realized I couldn’t actually tell which of you I was jealous of,”

“That long?” said Roman, and his voice came out sounding like he’d been punched in the stomach. Patton felt a floating sensation in his own stomach, like he’d swallowed a whole bouquet of helium balloons.

“That long,” replied Logan softly, “And Virgil…”

He shook his head.

“About… a year later, I believe,” said Logan, “After I’d started going to the revels. And I-”

He swallowed, and his throat clicked.

“Roman was singing that song to Virgil, you know the one-”

“‘Black Is The Color,’” said Virgil, and across from Patton Roman turned scarlet.

“Oh my god, you _heard_ that, kill me,”

“I loved it,” said Virgil seriously, and Roman’s face was so red he looked feverish, “Every time you sang it, I- I felt like I was going to break the curse just from how much I wanted to kiss you,”

“Roman was singing it,” Logan continued, “And you know I usually have to… say something at the beginning of a song, something like, ‘This song goes,’ or ‘The lyrics are,’”

He smiled over at Virgil.

“But I had not,” said Logan, “And I did not actually _mean_ to sing along, and I do not believe either of you even heard me-”

“I didn’t,” said Roman. Patton shook his head as well, and his eyes were round as quarters watching Logan. He definitely hadn’t – he would have said something, though he had no idea what.

“And I said it,” said Logan, “Black is the color of my true love’s hair,”

Virgil let out a shuddering breath. He held his hand out between them, and Logan took it, squeezing gently.

“Fuck,” said Roman, laughing a little, “You are… so much smarter than me, Specs, I was seriously such an idiot,”

“Hey!” said Patton, admonishing but still a little breathless, “Don’t talk bad about our boyfriend!”

“I _was,_ it took me- it took me ages to realize,” said Roman, “Hell, I made the stupid- the stupid deal and I _still_ hadn’t figured it out. Dense as a _brick,_”

“_Roman_,” said Virgil unhappily.

“It was when Lila Quickel asked me out,” said Roman, “Junior year? She said it and I was _this close_ to answering with ‘You know I’m dating Logan and Patton’ before I realized I decidedly was _not,”_

Patton giggled, shaking his head.

“Oh, I was so stupidly jealous of Lila Quickel before you came out,” he said, “Everybody knew she had a crush on you and she was so pretty-”

“Definitely not my type,” laughed Roman.

“What about Virgil?” prompted Logan.

Roman grinned over him and Virgil rolled his eyes, flushing.

“The moment I saw him, of course,” said Roman, “I was much smarter about that one,”

“_Roman_,” said Virgil, a little chastising, “It wasn’t- I could have been anyone in there,”

“No,” said Roman fervently, “You could only have been you,”

“Do you remember-” said Patton, leaning forward and just absolutely beaming, “When Logan was helping us study for those, um- standardized tests? When we were sophomores?”

Roman nodded.

Patton turned his smile on Logan, who flushed.

“And I-” Patton’s voice cracked, and he felt his eyes tear up a little, “I said I just wasn’t smart enough, because I’d done so bad on the practice one the year before, and you said-”

“I said the test was figurative bullshit,” quoted Logan, “You are one of the smartest people I know,”

“That was it, for you,” said Patton wetly, “And Roman was only a couple months later, we were going to a party,”

He sniffed, wiping the corner of his eye a little.

“You jumped out of the passenger side,” said Patton, “And ran around to mine, and I thought you’d gone bonkers or something. And you opened the door for me,”

Patton shook his head quickly, grinning so wide his face hurt.“’Who does that?’ I thought, and then ‘Roman does that’ and I just-”

He laughed, and it felt like his chest was full of Christmas bells, and he leaned across the circle to cup Roman’s face with one hand.

“Total goner,” he said.

He let go, turning to Virgil.

“And you-” he said, “Oh, it was so silly, I knew- I knew my voice didn’t work on fae, I knew it wasn’t going to work but-”

“You said you had to try,” said Logan.

“I remember,” said Virgil, awestruck. “I- oh, that’s-”

He actually giggled, and Patton didn’t think he’d ever wanted to kiss him quite so much in all the years since he’d seen him.

“We match up,” said Virgil, “Me and Patton,”

Logan let out a short laugh.“That’s-” he shook his head, “That’s precious,”

“Roman was first though,” said Virgil, “I don’t know- I don’t know the exact time. You asked me if I wanted you to bring me anything, the next time you came to see me,”

Virgil tilted his head back, smiling soppily at the ceiling.

“Oh, it was such a pointless question. And you always did that, always asked me things like you thought _this time_ I’d finally answer you, but that one-”

He shrugged.

“I don’t know why that one. I usually thought something silly in response, like fruit or cream or- I think one time I thought you should bring me a fallen star. But that time- that time all I could think was that I just wanted you to come back at all,”

“And Logan,” he said, his voice getting a little thick, “Logan, you- you said you needed Roman to teach you how to get into the clearing by yourself,”

“Oh, honey,” said Patton, his chest throbbing.

“But we couldn’t figure it out,” said Logan, a little incredulous.

“Didn’t matter,” said Virgil, shaking his head, “It was enough that you wanted to at all. That you were willing to come back forever if it meant I wasn’t left behind,”

“Of course,” said Logan, “Of course. It was an easy decision. It was _barely_ a decision to begin with I would have- I would have done anything-”

This finally seemed to be too much for Virgil, who tugged on their still joined hands and kissed Logan like he’d be happy to do it forever.

“What happened to the ban?” said Roman playfully.

“I did-” said Logan, barely getting the words out before Virgil pulled him back in, and Patton _really_ regretted agreeing to the ban.

“I did say temporary,” said Logan when he’d successfully detached himself. Virgil didn’t go far, pressing their foreheads together.

“But I do believe we ought to- we ought to stop there,” he said, and Virgil moved his head in a way that was half nod and half nuzzling their noses together.

“Alright,” he said.

They separated, and Patton nearly pouted but he managed to find some _restraint_ before anybody actually saw.

“I believe-”

Logan coughed a little, shaking himself slightly.

“I believe it is Roman’s turn with the make up,”

Roman shuffled over to Patton sitting cross-legged and grinning down at him.

“Gonna make me all pretty for my boyfriends, Patton-cake?”

“Too late,” giggled Patton.

“Always room for improvement,”

Patton couldn’t think of anything to say to that that wouldn’t probably result in testing the ban again, so instead he dove back into the bag.

* * *

“I don’t know how I feel about this,” said Virgil, holding his hands out warily with his fingers spread wide.

“I concur,” said Logan, and he sounded even more suspicious than Virgil.

Virgil glanced over at him – Logan’s hands were flat on the table, his fingernails painted a dark blue. Virgil’s were black, and the sensation of wetness along his nail beds and the knowledge that touching anything would get the nail paint all over anything he came in contact with was – well, it was probably more anxiety-inducing than it ought to be.

Roman, in a display anyone who’d heard him talk for five minutes could have predicted, had painted each of his nails a different color, so he had a rainbow gradient on his hands. Patton – who had gone first to demonstrate for Virgil and was therefore able to touch things now – had painted his a very pale shade of pink.

“Who’s turn even is it?” said Roman looking up at Virgil suddenly even though Virgil had already told him twice to _not_ do that.

Roman looked like he’d been painted in flame – like he’d stepped out of a forest fire with the blaze still clinging to his skin, red and gold and vibrant as the sun. Virgil only had _so much restraint._

Virgil swallowed, clearing his throat, and Roman was smiling smugly and Virgil was going to combust.

“What was the question?” he said, a little strained.

Roman’s grin widened.

“Who’s turn it is, babe,”

“Uh- Patton’s,” said Virgil.

“Pat?”

Patton hummed for long moment. He was holding one of Roman’s hands, occasionally gently blowing on the drying paint.

“Roman,” he said.

“Truth,”

Patton made several deeply adorable popping noises with his mouth.

“What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever said?”

“Why do I feel like I’m being ganged up on tonight?”

“Because we looooove you,” said Patton, bright and musical.

Roman seemed to think it over, then he slumped a little, shaking his head and already laughing.

“It’s gonna seem stupid,” he said.

“That would, I think, be the nature of an embarrassing thing,” said Logan dubiously.

“Well, in hindsight it maybe wasn’t _that _bad,” said Roman, “But it was definitely the most embarrassed I ever _felt_, so-”

He turned to Virgil again.

“You remember the day you woke up? In the woods, before you started getting your memories back?”

“I do,”

And Virgil frequently thought about that meeting – he’d been so disoriented when he’d woken up, he’d barely recognized Roman’s voice.

It seemed impossible now, that Virgil could hear him and feel anything but adoration. Seemed even more impossible that he’d laid eyes on Roman for the first time and done anything other than kiss him senseless.

“You were upset because I didn’t remember bringing you the cloak,” said Roman, “And you told me not to play dumb,”

“… Yeah?” said Virgil incredulously, wondering what on earth about that frankly kind of tense and slightly hostile meeting could have been embarrassing.

Roman turned to the other two.

“And I said ‘Bold of you to assume I’m playing,’”

Patton snorted, one hand coming up to cover his mouth, and Logan pinched the bridge of his nose with his freshly dry nails. Virgil hesitantly tapped his own, and they seemed dry as well.

“Do you mean to tell me,” Logan said, “That the first thing you said to our boyfriend’s face was a _meme?_”

“That’s a _meme?_” said Virgil, and now _he_ was getting pretty close to laughing. He liked memes, though he hadn’t encountered that one yet.

Considering Roman was usually the one showing them to Virgil, he suspected that was on purpose.

“Technically,” said Roman, “The first thing I said to him was swearing, and then I accused him of skulking in the shadows like a creeper,”

“Stalker,” said Virgil, amused, “You called me a stalker,”

“You’re ridiculous,” said Logan.

“Oh, like you were any better,” said Roman, “You were _this close_ to threatening him, and then you tried to say he wasn’t our friend and choked on your own lie. Like _that’s_ not embarrassing,”

“I’m not any better either,” said Patton, “I screeched when I saw him, I made him hide in the foot-well of my truck, I put him in my dad’s _clothes-_”

“You still got him to kiss you, so you obviously didn’t mess up too bad,” said Roman dryly.

“Well, I sorta threw myself at him, actually,”

“You make it sound like I wasn’t _clearly_ on board,” said Virgil. He had been, even if had taken him a moment to process it – that he was awake, with Patton, kissing him, that Virgil could easily wrap his arms around him and never let him go again and-

Ban, ban, the _ban_, fuck.

“Very well,” said Logan, “I will concede that we all had incredibly embarrassing first meetings with Virgil,”

He set his hand back on the table. He was beginning to look a little sleepy, looking at the rest of them through half lidded eyes and blinking slowly.

Logan clicked his nails on the coffee table, and both he and Virgil sat bolt upright.

“What?” said Roman immediately, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” said Logan, though he sounded a little hysterical.

Roman gave him a dubious look.

“It wasn’t-” Logan flushed, looking away. “It was not- anything _bad. _Nothing is wrong,”

Virgil crawled around Roman and Patton, hovering his painted nails over the wood.

_Clickclickclickclick_.

Virgil couldn’t help it – he grinned at Logan, who was clearly trying not to smile himself.

“Do it again,” encouraged Virgil.

Logan did, and he couldn’t seem to restrain the smile anymore. Then he tried all four of his fingers at once, one firm _tap_ sound rather than the little clicks, and he fairly _beamed_.

“It is… very good,” he said, “I have decided that I enjoy the nail polish,”

Virgil turned to Patton and Roman, but his smile dropped instantly. Logan’s face mirrored him and he turned as well.

“_Patton_?” said Virgil, quickly moving forward and reaching for Patton, who’s eyes were shiny and his cheeks tracked with a few stray tears.

“What’s wrong?” said Logan, following Virgil until they were all crowded together, their knees and shoulders and arms touching in a half-dozen places.

“Nothing, nothing honey,” said Patton thickly.

“You are _crying_, I-”

“I’m happy,” said Patton, “I’m just-”

He reached out, cupping Virgil’s cheeks and flashing a megawatt smile that wasn’t dimmed at all by the tears on his face.

“Gosh,” said Patton, choked up and breathless and _heart-stoppingly_beautiful, “I just- I just love you, I love you all so much, I don’t even know how it all fits inside me, it’s _nuts_-”

“_Patton_,” said Roman, soft and awestruck.

“So much,” choked Patton, “So, so much,”

“We’re cuddling,” said Roman firmly, “If we’re not gonna make out we are _at least_ going to snuggle after Patton pulled out the romantic big guns, his sweet and earnest declarations of love, absolutely unfair that I can’t kiss you right now when you’re being lovely and beautiful and unarguably _perfect-_”

“Quick one,” said Patton breathlessly, and Roman didn’t hesitate a second before pulling Patton into a searing kiss that made Virgil’s heartbeat stop and then turn thunderously loud.

Roman let him go, and Patton looked a little stunned. He blinked up at Roman.

“You said quick,” said Roman, winded, “You didn’t say _chaste_,”

“You certainly followed his instructions,” croaked Logan.

Patton blinked several times, shaking himself.

“Right,” said Patton, “I, um- cuddling?”

After a restructuring of the pillow nest and a significant amount of maneuvering, they ended up with Virgil and Logan on their backs and angled toward each other, with Logan’s head on Virgil’s shoulder. The other two were draped over their chests, Patton on Logan and Roman on Virgil. Virgil was already starting to feel a little blissed out from the pressure and Logan had started making that lovely, soothing rumbling sound.

“Your turn, Roman,” said Patton.

“No dares,” said Logan, “No moving, please?”

“Of course, my dearest nerd,” said Roman, tracing the outline of Logan’s face. Patton nodded against Logan’s chest and Virgil hummed in agreement.

Roman thought it over, and turned to look up at Virgil.

“What’s the meanest thing you ever did?”

“Just mean?” said Virgil.

“Yeah. Like… petty,” said Roman.

“I’m not sure what it was specifically,” said Virgil, “But whatever it was, I definitely did it to Tobias,”

“Greta’s husband?” said Patton curiously.

“Yeah,” said Virgil.

There was the familiar ache, but it was soothed somewhat by the weight of Roman on his chest and the contact with all three of them at once.

“I wasn’t… I was never really very nice to him,” said Virgil.

“Why?” said Roman.

“I’m… not sure,” said Virgil, “He loved her. He was good, and polite to me and doted on Trudi. I just-”

Virgil stroked Roman’s back, thinking it over.

“I don’t think I was jealous, exactly,” he said softly, “Grettie had plenty of love to go around, it wasn’t like I- I never _missed her._ She was always right there when I wanted her to be, like she was reading my mind or something.”

He shrugged.

“I knew he loved her but I think- I think I was testing him, now that I think about it. Making sure he’d stay, even if something was giving him a reason to leave,”

Virgil thought back, casting for memories.

“I think he knew,” he said quietly, “I… I hope he knew. I didn’t actually hate him,”

Roman moved his head again to press a short, comforting kiss to Virgil’s chest, just over his heart. Virgil leaned down to kiss him on the top of his head.

“Patton,” he said quietly, “Tell me a secret,”

Patton fiddled with a loose thread on one of the pillows.

“I’ve never been drunk,” he said.

“That’s not a secret, we know you’re immune to alcohol,” said Roman.

“I’ve never drank alcohol is what I’m saying,”

Roman went a little tense, and Logan’s hand, which had been steadily stroking Patton’s back, stopped moving.

“I dump it out when no one’s looking,” Patton continued, “And I lied about drinking a lot of water,”

“But-” said Roman, sounding absolutely gutted, “We never- we never would have _pressured_ you-”

“No, of course not, it wasn’t- it wasn’t that,” said Patton, catching Roman’s hand and lacing their fingers together. “But you would have asked why,”

“Yeah, I would have. I am,” said Roman.

“It’s not safe,” said Patton, “If I was drunk, I might not pay attention to what I was saying. It was too dangerous to risk it,”

“Patton,” said Logan softly, “You are not dangerous-”

“And that’s why I didn’t tell you,” said Patton quietly.

Roman’s breath on Virgil’s collarbone was a little shaky. He squeezed Patton’s hand.

“I know neither of you is afraid of me,” said Patton, “_Thank you_, for not being afraid of me,”

He shook his head sadly.

“But you can’t- we can’t just pretend it’s fine all the time. We can’t ignore it, or act like- like everyone who _is_ afraid is being… unfair, or- or irrational, I guess,”

He sniffed a little.

“Yeah, maybe they don’t have to be _mean_,” said Patton, “_That’s _not fair. But afraid? It’s- it’s pretty darn reasonable to be at least a _little_afraid,”

A long pause, and Logan slowly resumed the stroking. Roman sighed.

“Okay,” said Roman, “We’re- we’re just gonna have to agree to disagree, but- I won’t push it, okay?”

“And you do not have to pretend to drink,” said Logan, “I believe that the… ‘party fouls’ are unnecessary,”

Patton snorted.

“’Party foul?’” said Virgil.

“There’s funny rules for parties,” said Patton, “If you break them, that’s a foul. One of them is ‘don’t waste alcohol,’”

“I promise to never tell Remy you’ve been disrespecting his hard work,” Roman teased.

“I paid for it,” said Patton primly, “He’s got nothing to complain about,”

Roman laughed, and it vibrated through Virgil’s chest and made his own lids feel heavy.

“Logan,” said Patton, “What’s you favorite thing about Roman?”

Logan shook his head, and Virgil smiled, already knowing the answer.

“You will have to ask another question, as that one is impossible to answer truthfully,” said Logan, “I could not choose a favorite. I love everything about him to a degree that is impossible to quantify,”

“Okay, now I’m _sure_ you’re ganging up on me,” said Roman wetly.

“Fair point,” said Patton, “Favorite food?”

Logan groaned.

“What?” said Virgil, “That’s not that bad a question,”

Logan muttered something.

“Can’t hear you, Specs,”

“Acorns,” said Logan, clearly put out, “I eat acorns,”

“What, like- like raw ones?”

“Yes,” sighed Logan.

No one spoke for a moment.

Patton put one hand on the floor and propped himself up on his hand.

“Not allowed,” he said, “Too cute. I can’t take it, sweetie, you’re gonna gimme a whole heart attack,”

Virgil was inclined to agree with him, though he wasn’t nearly as surprised as Roman and Patton seemed to be. He’d have to get Logan alone at some point – by fae standards, acorns weren’t even _close_ the weirdest thing Logan could be eating, but Virgil didn’t want to put him on the spot if he didn’t want anybody to know.

Logan turned bright red at the compliment, and Patton leaned down to kiss his temple before snuggling back into his chest.

“Roman,” said Logan, clearly trying to change the subject, “Who is your favorite teacher?”

“Mamaw,” said Roman.

“That’s a cop-out,” giggled Patton.

“It’s the truth though,”

Roman continued to make his case, while Patton and Logan insisted the answer didn’t count. Virgil let their voices wash over him.

Almost like the casket – but only the comforting parts. Not the one’s that hurt.

The sense that he wasn’t alone. That there was space in the conversation for him, if only he opened his mouth to join – but now he _could_. The space wasn’t just a courtesy. It was real.

And all the different parts – Roman’s soothing weight on Virgil’s chest, Logan’s head resting on his shoulder with his breath puffing against Virgil’s neck, Patton and Roman’s joined hands against his side.

He could stay here forever. Maybe not here, specifically, the floor of the Waller living room.

But in the night, all of them close. Talking about nothing and everything, sharing secrets and soft touches. Sharing everything.

Warm and content and comfortable, it was no wonder at all Virgil fell asleep before the discussion was even over.

**Author's Note:**

> i am also [tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors](tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors.tumblr.com) over on tumblr!!


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